D or stirrup-shaped handle



Dec. 25,1923. 1,478,854

E; c. HEATON n on STIRRUP SHAPED HANDLE Filed July 14, 1922 Patented Dec. 25, 1923. s

EDWARD corLnY I-IEA'ION, or nnnnocarn, ENGLAND.

D OR STIRRUP-SHAPEID HANDLE.

Application filed July 14, 1922. Serial No. 575,000;

To all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD OOPLEY HEATON, residing at 24 -West Cliff Grove, Harrogate, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to D or Stirrup-Shaped Handles (for which I have filed an application in England Sept. 7, 1921, patented June 15, 1922, Serial No. 181,278), of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to D or stirrupshaped handles for spades, shovels, forks and the like.

In such handles constructed of wood, it

has been proposed to protect the cross-bar portion and side-limb portions by a metal shoe or cover bent to shape and riveted thereto. In another construction it has been proposed to employ a cross-bar portion of wood secured by means of a metal rivet to metallic side-limb portions fashioned either from a sheet metal blank or from two sheet metal blanks; while in other constructions,

it has been proposed to rivet a tubular metal cross-bar portionto the side-limb portions of a fork formed out of a metal strip or from a sheet metal blank.

Now, the object of this present invention is to simplify the construction of D or stirrup-shaped handles with a view to ma-- terially cheapening their manufacture.

According to this invention a sheet of metal is stamped out by any ordinary and convenient means to form a fiat blank, provision being made in the said blank for the formation of the cross-bar portion having two side-limb portions formed integral therewith, and each side portion terminating with an integral part to form a half socket.

The parts forming the sheet metal blank are stamped and bent in dies or otherwise formed to the desired shape, after which the side-limb portions are turned down on to the ends of the cross-bar portion until the two half sockets come together.

The entire handle is thus made in one piece, and it will be seen that by constructing handles in this way their manufacture will be materially cheapened.

Screw or rivet holes are formed in the two half socket portions during the stamping operation with a view to facilitating the fixing of the handle to the wooden or metal shaft of the spade, shovel or fork to which the said handle is to be applied.

In the drawings hereunto annexedare shown handles constructed according to this invention, in which Fig. l is a blank of sheet metal,-.drawn onv a reduced scale,.from which the handle is to beformed;

Fig. 2 is an elevation drawn to a larger scale of a handle constructed according to this invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation showing the application of the handle to the shaft of a spade.

The flat metal,say steel,blank shown at Fig. l is provided with a central portion at having the projections or protuberances Z), 7) formed at the ends thereof. The portion a is formed of such a size as regards its length and width as to form, when bent or folded into the circular form shown at Fig. 4, the cross-tubular piece of the handle. Integral with the central portion a are two side limb portions 0,0, which form the side members of the handle when bent or turned into the shape shown at Figs. 2 and 4. At the outer ends of each side limb portion 0, c is formed an enlargement (Z of such a size as regards'its length and width so that each enlargement forms a half socket, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

fter the blank has been cut to the shape shown at Fig. 1 its several portions are bent to the required shape by stamping in dies, and after this has been done the side limb portions 0 are turned down over the ends of the cross-bar portion a and within the projection b, 'b. WVhen'this has been done the projections 'b, b areturned over the said limb portions, as shown in Fig. 4.

The entire handle is made out of one piece or blank of sheet metal, which then forms a handle ready for attachment to a shovel having a wooden or tubular metal shaft 6.

During the process of holding the socket portions (Z into shape one or more holes may be formed in its main portion for attaching the handle by screws or rivets to the upper portion of the shaft 6. The lower end on the shaft e is attached by any ordinary and convenient means to the blade 7 of the shovel.

Although in the drawings a shovel with a pointed or round mouth is shown to the blade 7 it can be arranged to be applied to shovels'with a square mouth.

The crutch handle shown inthedrawings can also be applied to the shafts of spades or forks.

What I claim is 1. A stirrupshaped handle for shovels formed from a flat sheet metal blank having a central horizontal tubular portion, a side member at each end ofthe tubular portion which is turned'down and bent to shape, a pair of protuberances at each end of the tubular portion for retainingthe side members in position, and a half socket formed on r the lower end of each side member, said side sockets having holes formed therein for at-' 2. The combination with the shaft of a shovel, of a stirrup-shaped handle formed from a fiat sheet metal blank stamped or bent in dies to the desired shape, said handle comprising a horizontal tubular portion, two side members, two half sockets at the free ends of the side arms and two protuberances at each end of the tubular portion for retaining the side arms in their bent position, and means for securing the handle to the shaft of the shovel as set forth.

EDXVARD COPLEY -HEATON.

Witnesses:

JAMES STRIGKLAND, HARRY FLETCHER. 

